Member Article

Environmental firm triples turnover

A North West environmental firm has more than tripled its turnover to more than £6 million during the past 12 months.

Liverpool based Eco Environments has initially forecast a turnover of £5 million during 2011/12, but a combination of high solar panel take up by domestic customers and a number of commercial contracts wins saw this increase to £6.4 million.

However, when the Government’s feed-in tariff is slashed again from July 1, Eco Environments plan to move forward and put greater focus on the commercial side of the business, and the renewable energy technologies offered by the company.

Mike Clarke, Eco Environments’ Managing Director, said: “Solar PV and feed-in-tariffs have dominated the news agenda for the last couple of years, but the focus going forward will be far more about energy efficiency in the face of ever rising energy costs.

“Eco Environments is not a provider of solar panels; it is a business which offers customers the full range of renewable energy solutions of which solar panels happens to be one.”

The company, who designs, installs and commissions a number of renewable technologies has also seen its headcount increase from 12 to 50 over the past year.

David Hunt, Eco Environments’ Sales and Marketing Director, said: “While the FTSE companies and large PLCs all have sustainability policies in place, this is much less the case among the SME community.

“Many owner managers still think that renewable energy is about saving the planet when in fact harnessing the right technologies could actually help grow or even save a business at a time of ever rising energy costs.

“New research from the Forum of Private Business has revealed that energy costs are now one of the biggest issues facing small business owners.”

The business also established regional offices in Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Carlisle and St Asaph.

In addition, successful industry partnerships were agreed with Hyundai Solar – the first deal of its kind with a UK renewable energy company – Kingspan Solar and Wind and German solar manufacturers K2 Systems and WINAICO. These partnerships paved the way for Eco Environments to open a wholesale division of its business.

Mark Buchanan, Eco Environments’ Commercial Director, said: “The Government’s chaotic handling of the FIT rates is killing tens of thousands of jobs in the solar industry and taking away from consumers one of the best financial investments available to them during extremely uncertain economic times.

“But as a business with a range of solutions we are reinforcing the focus on energy and helping our customers understand how a holistic energy and efficiency strategy can really pay dividends.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .